Furnace for electrical treatment of gases for the purpose of oxidation of atmospheric nitrogen or for other purposes



chamber .Fully 5, 1927.

Oxzdazon chamber' uei 20w pressure' onz'daion /C /fg chamber Zegozng gse5 A INVENTOR 750mm' 172262' ow ZO Incoming Low pressure' zorze Le chamber -I camz' ng O? ji L CAS2/e l" cha mbar 1927'. 1,634,311 July 5 B. THOMAS- FURNACE FOR ELECTRICAL TREATMENT OF GASES FOR THE PURPOSE OF OXI DATION 0F ATMOSPHERIC NITROGEN OR FOR OTHE URPO Filed March 14. 1925 Shee -Sheet 2 nglf ,Zuvenor 1,634,311 s R THE PURPOSEr 0F July 59 B. THOMA ELECTRICAL TREATMENT oF oF ATMOSPHERIC NITROG GASES FO R FOR O FURNACE RoR OXIDATION THER PURPOS 5 Sheet s s-Sheen 3 EN O Filed MarchV 14.

@gf e Il lll l/ INVENTQR .771ama/5 lll 5 Sheets-Sheei 4 GEN OR FOR OTHER PURPOSES B. THOMAS Filed March 14. 1925 '/j .H7226 chamber FURNACE FOR ELECTRICAL TREATMENT OF GASES FOR' THE PURPOSE OF OXIDATION OF ATMOSPHERIC NITRO aw pfessufe zon@ .fecrae OzZZeZ Inner 051257 c/aamber 1,634,31 B. EUENACE FOR ELECTRICAL TREATMENT OP GASES EOE THE PURPOSE OP July 5, 1927.

THOMAS OXIDATION OE ATMOSPHERIC NITROGEN OE FOR OTHER PURPOSES Filed NOCE 14. 1925 5 Sheets-Shea?l 5 INVENTOR @077W Patented July 5, 1.927.

UNITED sTATas l 1,634,311 PATENT oFrlcE.

BRUNO THOMAS, OF SEATTLE,

IUBNACE FOB ELECTRICAL TREATMENT OF GASES FOB THE PUBPOSE'OF OXIDATION Ol' yATMOSPHERIC NITROGEN OB FOB OTHER PURPOSES.

AApplication mea nana 14, 192s. sensi no. sans?.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in furnaces for electrical treatment of gases. More particularly, my invention pertains to those furnaces designed for the purpose of oxidation of atmospheric nitrogen.

The underlying principles of the invention herein set forth are more fully described in my application for United States Letters Patent bearing Serial Number 366,453, filed March 16, 1920.

I will describe and illustrate my furnace as the same pertains to the problems incidentto the oxidation of nitrogen. However,

it will be understood that my invention is not limited to any such specific purpose, but is co-extensive with all purposes wherein like conditions and'like problems arise.

Some-of the furnaces heretofore provided for the electrical treatment .of gases have tangential admission ports so related to the admission chamber that some centrifugal force may be created therein. However, such force and the relative proportion of the outlet port ofsaid chamber is not such as will create what I term herein a low pressure zone. The devices `mentioned may create a lower pressure axially of the chamber as respects the peripheral portion of the chamber, but the fundamental condition,

i namely,'oi` producing a zone` of such de ree of low pressure that a functional relationship is established with the arc, which may be dispersed therein, that the creation of a high temperature is avoided,-is not provided .by said prior art devices.

In the fixation of nitrogen by electrical energy, the following conditions obtain:v A

primary consideration is the accoxnplishA 4 ment of the fixation with as great efliciency as possible. Normally, there obtains in theV devices as heretofore designed an oxidation zone of very high temperature, and means provided to cool the port shortly after formation thereof by means of outside cooling air currents. Nitric oxides are characterized chemically by the facility with which they disassociate in an environment of high temperature. Therefore, for the eicient fixationof nitrogen, it is necessary to rovide for the prompt removal of the oxi es into 'acooling zone, without permitting the said oxides to remain in the environment of thermodisassociation temperature, and to provide for the withdrawal of the expanding gases, so that they may be given an opportumty for adiabatlc cooling. A primary object of my invention is to provide` a fur-I nace which will satisfy these conditions. l

Moreover, in said prior artf devices the walls are kept as cool as possible by an excess of cooling air. A primary ob'ect of my the chamber through a central annular open-- ing the gases will take a centrifugal movement an spread out as far as the centrifugal force will carry them until arrested by the reacting forces from the .chamber walls through the air current rotating nearest to the wall. Thus' there will be created what in general may betermed two different zones of gases in the chamber; one-inner zone, (a centrifugal zone underI low pressurel, and one outer ring formed zone under igher pressure. The extent of each zone is determined by the size of the chamber and the velocity of the gas current.

A similar vdivision of the rotating gasbody may take place also if the air is blown into the chamber tangentially,-onl in this case the extent of each zone is mai y determined by the outlet, or outlets,A and the design of the chamber. If-the chamber is a lon narrow tube, there will be no centrifuga zone in the center. There may, of course, be a very small center part of somewhat lower pressure than along the walls, and through this center line the electric ener will pass, forcing its'way under hi Vh resistance, producing an intense heat an high temperature in the narrow string. The resent invention, as will be shown later, willichange this condition entirely; and' also, with a tan tial ingoing gas current create an insi e 'ntrifugal zone of suicient size for the electric energy to work under less resistance, vless heat, and less temperature,-all being more favorable conditions for the reaction of the gases.

Theabove mentioned general objects of my invention, together with others inherent in the same. are attained by the device illustrated in the following drawings, the same being merely preferred exemplary forms of embodiment of my invention, throughout which drawings like reference numerals in-l dicate like parts:

Figures 1-32 are diagrammatic views of portions of an electric furnace embodying my invention, illustrating diiierent positions, forms and arrangement of the admission chamber. reaction chamber. and different sizes of the openings therebetween-the par-f ticular advantages of each being more fully set forth hereinafter;

Fig. IA is a view inside elevation of a furnace embodying my invention;

Lllgig. IIA is a view in sect-ion on dotted line Fig. IE is a view of a modified form .of

the same; y

Fig. IIE is a view in section and as per dotted lines indicated in IE;

Fig. IF is a. view in elevationA of still another modified form of furnace embodying my invention; and

Fig. IIF isa view in section on dotted line AB.

Annular electrodes are for gas arcs in many ways preferable to solid electrodes and are illustrated herein. The attacking point, or working surface, is so many times larger, and the rotating gases in a continuous shifting at the attacking point around the periphery, will minimize the destruction of the material. In gas furnaces they`have a large advantage by serving as inlets and outlets for the gases, and for this purpose, they are adaptable to such new furnaces designed for centrifugation of the arc and the reaction gases.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is shown an arrangement of two annular electrodes. a and b, a serving as inlet, and Z as outlet for the gases. The centrifugal movement is provided for by rotating the gases in the ante-chamber d fed through the tangential inlet c. W'hen the gases pass from d through a, they will immediately adopt a centrifugal movement, the extent of which is determined by the extent of the chamberand the velocity Yof the gases. Outside .the centrifugal air movement, along the walls of the chamber @,the same condition will apply as in chamber a; this part of the gases will accumulate a centrifugal tension, which will again cause a centrifugal movement of the'gases 'passing through the other electrode b into an outer larger receiving chamber.

There will. then. between the electrodes'and for a distance outside the upper electrode, be

established a centrifugal zone in which the arc will rotate under a sub-pressure, favorable for oxidation in several ways,-both for the. economical utilization of the electrical energy and for the cooling of the arc and the expansion of the gases, which all are' conditional factors for an 'increased etiiciency. As shown in the diagrams. rthe electrodes may be arranged in three different ways: a. smallA bottom electrode and a larger top electrode; two electrodes of equal diameter; or a-large 4diameter bottom-electrode and a. s1 .iall diameter top-electrode. The most favorable arrangement of the three may be determined for each case by the nature of the applied electrical current and bythe quantity orthe velocity ofthe gases. A furnace of this art will allow a wide range for both these factors,-their reciprocal proportion determining the grade of concentration.

The lightly shadedl section in each diagram indicates the approximate extent of the Htl centrifugal zone,l although, as mentioned, it.

will change with the velocity.

In Figs. 4. 5 and 6 is shown a. similar arrangement of the electrodes, with the alteration that the gases from outside h ere are f blown tangentially through c between the electrodes into the chamber e, while lthe underlying chamber d is closed. In this case,

in e will pass down through the center lof the movement in a into chamber d andcome out again along the periphery, and, being mixed with the gases coming in from c. will be re-oxidized. The largest amount of re,- oxi'dation `will be attained when the bottom electrode a is made the larger one.

In Figs. '7,8 and 9 isshown an arrangement, whereby the mixing of the gases and up and out through the electrode b, while'v the outer layers of the zone will pass between the walls of the chambers, down through f to the bottom and enter chamber e again through the electrode a, therebyf being intimately mixed with the gases coming in through 7L, and be re-treated. By this arrangement will also be gained that the density of the gases in theperiphery of the movement while passing through the electrode b. will be minimized, releasingsome of the tensionof current, therebv saving energy. The same condition applies for a.

In Figs. 8 and l9 is shown a slightly dif- .a part of the gases from the centrifugal zone i lUU ferent arrangement, by the inlet chamber d being placed below Fig. 10 shows a plan of Fig. 7, showing the inlet canal c going through chamber f into chamber d. and also the relation of the electrode opening a and the surrounding opening h. The full drawn arrow shows the movement of the incoming gases around and into the electrode a, while the dotted arrow line shows the centrifugal movement of the mixed gases from both openings in the chamber e, outwards and upwards.

In Fig. 11 is shown a plan of Fig. 2 and Fig, 8 with the full drawn arrow indicating the movement of the incoming gases, and the dotted arrow line Z indicating the centrifugal movement of the outgoing gases.

In Fig. 12 is shown the plan of chamber rl of Figs. 3 and 9 inthe same way.

In Figs. 13, 14 and 15 is shown an elimination of the chamber d, using only the two chambers e and f.

In Figs. 16,17 and 18 is shown an arrange ment of one chamber only, cut up in three compartments by two horizontal partitions,-the` upper partition having la large central opening, the lower one an opening around the periphery, besides one in the center for the electrode a. The gases come in through c in the upper compartment. They create a centrifugal zone, in the 4rim of which the density of the outgoing gases is relieved,-thereby that part of the gases pass downward through the larger opening in the upper partition and further through the ring formed, opening of the lower partition to the lower compartment, wherefrom they will come back through the electrode d into the centrifugal zone.

In Figs. 19 and 20 are shown the two electrodes, arranged concentric in, or nearly in, the same plane,-Fig. 19, with the gases coming in through the outer electrode a and out through the inner electrode b. The largest part of the gases will in this way be reoxidized. In Fig. 20 the gases are shown coming in through the center electrode a and out through the outer electrode b.

In Fig. 21 is shown a ring-formed partition in the upper part ofthe chamber, the bottom of which carries the electrode a for incoming gases going out through electrode b in the top. The gases are blown in through c between the Walls, and will rotate around, go down and come up through a. At the same time, the gases in the outer layers of the centrifugal zones between the electrodes will be sucked up through the tangential openings m, thereby releasing the. tension around the outgoing electrode opening b, and at the same time mix withthe incoming air and get re-oxidized.

In Fig. 22 is shown a plan of Fig. 19. The air coming in through c with a movement between the Aelectrodes as indicated with in the center through both electrodes -b, which electrodes may be of theV Vsame diameter as'those shown in Fig. 25, or with different diameters, -as shown in Fig. 26.

In the case of Fig. 25. the centrifugal zone will, in a short chamber and with high air Velocity, take the shape of a sand glass, narrow in the middle and wide at the `opening, where the pressure is relieved. On account of this pressure difference, the highest tension with highest temperature will be in the middle partof the zone half way between the openings, and from this gas center, in which the middle part of the arc will rotate, each end of the arc will move around one electrode, forming two conical centrifugal zones with separate outlets. The gases from each outlet will, in this case, have the same grade of concentration. If the area of the electrodes is unequal, as in Fig. 26, the centrifugal zone will take the shape of a cone with sides concave towards the axis and two different grades of concentrated gases will follow.

In Figs. 27 and 28 is shown an arrangement where both electrodes serve as inlets, with a tangential or circular outlet. The centrifugal zone will, in both figures, take the form of a round sha Vex sides towards the periphery.

In Figs. 29 and 30 is shown a chamber with a center partition in which the bottom electrode a is placed, vand which partition will serve to better the mixing of the gases. The gas inlet c may be placed in the upper or lower part of the chamber.

In Figs. 31 and 32 are shown plans of Figs. 29 and 30,-both indicating the tangential'gas inlet c and the movement of the vincoming gases towards the center-and the outgoing gases from the center, of the centrifu al zone, shown by the full drawn and dotte arrow lines, respectively.

One or both of the annular electrodes may be replaced yby a solid center electrode, and the inlets and outlets for the gases arranged thereafter, eitheraround the electrodes or tan'gentially.l v

The arc itself will not alwa s fill out the zone. It may hold on to the e ectrodes with olf-shoots or runners, while its main body will seek the center part .ofthe centrifugal zone, and one may notice that the terminals ber aroun of the arc stay in the axis throu h the center of the openings, and each end o the arcwill, at the upper and lower terminals of the centrifugal action, take the form of a reversed umbrella or as a sprinkler. This phenomenon may be explained thereby that the low pressure in the zone immediately around the axis has transformed the, gases into a conductor, spreading and radiating a low temperature gas arc, with off-shoots of higher tension from this gaseous conductor as connecting links with the electrodes. These ofi"- shoots are'often of a quite different character than the rest of the arc,-they are concentrated like continuous sparks,-while the rest of the arc is radiating to all sides like a gas Sausage. However, the shape of the arc itself, as of the moving zone, will change i with the velocity of the gases.

Many other arrangements than here shown ma be devised for creating an extended centri ugal working zone for the arc,-the shown diagrams are only used as descriptive illustrations for the basic idea of my invention, for which patent is claime'd,the extended low-pressure centrifugal' working zone.

Some further illustration of practical design is shown in the following:-

Figs. IA and IIA show a furnace design accordin to diagram Fi 6., The gases .are here blown in tangentxally through openingsl l in ay chamber with twoannular center electrodes a: and y,-opening 3 in y terminating in a closed chamber 4, while opening 5 in a: terminates in a large chamber 6, where the outgoing gases bythe centrifugal move ment in the large space are cooled down below the dissociation and continue outthrou h tubes 7, and throu h a nal outlet 8. Suc ing the gases out rom 8, and lettin the atmospherlc pressure blow them in,t apres sure inside the furnace may be regulated to the most favorable condition.

Figs. IE and IIE show a furnace designed according to diagram Fig. 8. The air comes from the outside through a tangential channel c into a circular chamber al in the lower lat-ing materials. l channels c1, through an inside circular wall into a central chamber d? below the electrode a. Having received a movement with a cen-y trifugal tension in chamber d1, the air passes out through a with` a centrifugal movement, creatingfa low pressure centrifugal zone in chamber e, which zone continues upward through opening g, and the upper electrode b spreadin out in a large receiving cham-A b. Between openings g and b the outer layers of the gases will break away into the surrounding chamber f and pass downward along the periphery, and through channels cz, enter into chamber f1 above chamber d, thereafter pm out throu h a circular openin h'around the velectro e a, and mix with t e air coming into e through a, and be reoxidized.

Figs. IF and IIF show a furnace with an air movement similar to that shown indiagram 7,-the gses Afor re-oxidation passing in through the 4center of the direct incoming air.' It is a steel furnace resting on an insu,-

lating basefthe air coming in through va 'pipe 1 to a clrcular pipe 2 around the furnace. From this circular pipe it goes into the furnace through nozzles 3. `These nozzles pass through' a ring-formed opening 11 ter of the partition 19.1nto chamber 7, where' another centrifugal zone will be created, from which the gases will pass through the cooler tubes 8 to the outlet 9. The gases,

along the wall of chamber 17 will'pass downwards throu h openings 10 into the ring-formed cham r 11 through openings ases rotate accumulatin a 12 into 13 and 14:, and again-enter the chamber 17 through the *opening-16 4inelectrode a, and mix with the air coming in through 5 between thev electrodesl a and lb.` There is a third annular electrode b1 in the center of partition 19around the o ening 18. It -is on the same-circuit as electro e b. 'The arc being started'between a and b and the centrifugal -Vzone in' the ,chamber 7 estabv lished,-the lpressuremay be lowered in the center part by increased velocity and for the same reason, the. density of the gases around the inner side of by increasedf-the arc will .then shift its one end from b to b1, and work between a and b1.' with increased eiciency.

Obviously, changes may be made in the forms, dimensions, and arrangement of the arts of m invention, without; departing m the princi le thereof, the above setting forthonlypre erred forms of embodiment.

I.claim:- y

, 1. A furnace for electrical treatment of gases embodying a chamber having tangentially disposed admission ports and anv outlet port of such relative size as respects the said chamber that a'centrifugal motionfis im-" yparted to the gases passing therethrough,

whereby a re-action zone of low 'pressure is produced and electrodes operatively disposed with respect to said zone.

2. A furnace for electrical treatment of gases vembodying a as admission chamber having tangentially isposed inlet ports; an expan ing chamber operatively disposed with respect to admission chamber havv movement of the gas through said chambers arid ports forms a reaction zone of low pres- 3. A furnaceV for electrical treatment oI gases embodying a gas admission chamber havin tangentially disposed inlet ports; an expan 'ng chamber operatively disposed with respect to said admission chamberv having an inlet and an outlet port; electrodes operatively disposed' with respect to saidand a partition disposed betweenY said electrodes, whereby the gases in theperipheral portion of said low pressure zone may be withdrawn.4

B. moms. 

